Getting around Corsica can be almost as tricky as getting to it. Despite the four airports on the island, you can't fly internally, so be prepared to get out on the roads. Buses serve all the major towns on the island and many of the little ones in between. Unfortunately, regular departures aren't their strong suit. If you're limited to public transport be prepared to shape your itinerary around (frustratingly) infrequent buses and the routes they ply. Train travel is also somewhat circumscribed, with journeys limited to the main Bastia-Ajaccio via Corte line and the Ponte Leccia-Île Rousse-Algajola-Calvi spur. Still, the Corsican rail network was built in the heroic age of railroad building, and the scenery as well as the engineering brilliance of 38 tunnels, 34 viaducts and 12 bridges (one of them an Eiffel masterpiece) make rolling the rails a unique experience.

Driving yourself around offers the most flexibility; however, the narrow roads, blind hairpin bends, sheer drops, impatient locals, parking problems and traffic jams in towns not built for cars all make for less than pleasant motoring. Cycling is a popular way to get around and you can hire mountain bikes throughout the island. Most towns are small enough to simply walk around, although the larger Ajaccio and Bastia make it easier with local bus services. Elsewhere you may find yourself reliant on taxis.